David Oyelowo to play Sugar Ray Robinson?

(Via MovieWeb) David Oyelowo is set to play boxer Sugar Ray Robinson in the biopic Sweet Thunder, based on Wil Haygood’s biography Sweet Thunder: The Life And Times Of Sugar Ray Robinson.

Wil Haygood wrote the first draft of the screenplay, with producer and writer Danny Strong looking to possibly do a second draft, depending on who the director is. Moneyball’s Rachael Horovitz is also producing.

Sweet Thunder will follow Sugar Ray Robinson’s exploits throughout his early career, and his refusal to get into the ring with organized crime, which cost him quite a few title bouts. The film will look at how the boxer helped expose the seedy underbelly of the organization, making it a more legitimate sport.

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9 Comments on this Post

unlikely hood

Has anyone ever starred as a real-life boxer in a major-budget Hollywood film and *failed* to get an Oscar nomination? I mean I know the list of nominees is long…Paul Newman, Robert DeNiro, Denzel Washington, Will Smith…just not sure if it’s exclusive.